Specialty Areas
I’m committed to providing safe, affirming, and unbiased therapy to all identities and bodies. If you are polyamorous, feminist, fat, into kink, or in the LGBTQIA+ community, I want you in particular to know that I am an open and nonjudgmental therapist. Everyone deserves access to quality care.
Anxiety, Depression, Out of Control Emotions
People aren’t born knowing what to do when we experience overwhelming, uncomfortable emotions. We learn through observation of others or trial and error, and we occasionally develop unhealthy and destructive ways of making ourselves feel better. Not knowing what to do when we have strong emotions often leads to more painful experiences. It can put strain on relationships, negatively impact how we think of and treat ourselves, and fuel behavior that in turn fuels more unpleasant emotions. Every person experiences emotions differently - some seem to be more sensitive, while others may feel entirely out of touch with their emotions and both circumstances can be equally painful and limiting. Some people land on what seems the opposite end of the spectrum and struggle to feel any emotion at all; the numbness feels like a bog, slowly pulling us under and hindering our movement.
Fortunately, it’s possible to learn new ways to navigate our emotions. This may include learning to better identify the emotions we feel, learning to keep our emotions from dictating our behavior, and learning to decrease the intensity of our emotions. Mindfulness plays a central role in how I approach emotion management, though its inclusion is secular in nature. You are more than the emotions you feel and the thoughts that you have!
Chronic Illness
I am a therapist with firsthand experience of the ups and downs (and downs and downs and downs) of chronic illness and pain. I know what it is to have to give up dreams, rearrange your life, be victimized by the medical system, lose relationships - all because of chronic illness. I know what it is to have to rebuild your life from the ground up. Chronic pain can feel like it zaps you of all energy and desire, robs you of your future, and isolates you from the world around you. Worse yet, the connection of our mind and body means that often our physical symptoms have significant negative impacts on our mental health as well. It becomes a feedback loop that feels like razor wire, restricting us from even ourselves.
I want to help you find joy and meaning despite your chronic illness. I can help you decrease the emotional distress associated with your symptoms. Allow me to help you navigate your downs and downs and downs and downs.
Relationship Therapy
“Relationships take work” said almost every therapist, life coach, or relationship expert ever. But how do we know what type of work to put in so that we can change or improve things? Often it can feel like we’re giving everything we have, but spinning our wheels rather than moving forward. It can be incredibly painful to look around and be so far away from where we want to be and what we want our relationships to look like. Unfortunately, there is no universal road map that gets everyone from point A to point B reliably. And many of the maps are outdated, or in a different language, or seem to be made for someone who is not like you.
As a therapist who works with intimate partners, I specialize in working with folks who are polyamorous of all relationship structures. Being polyamorous doesn’t automatically mean that there aren’t things that cause problems in relationships, or that you don’t need someone to give you directions from time to time. I also enjoy working with people who are polycurious, who perhaps want to explore that further or are considering opening up their relationship. Polyamorous relationships look all sorts of different ways, and I would be honored to guide you while you decide what you want without bias.
High Needs Pet Owners
Not all pet owners have the privilege of loving a behaviorally or medically needy animal. It’s popular, especially in Colorado, to bring your beloved dog with you wherever you can and it’s painful to know that you may never be able to have those experiences with your dog. Or that your pet may never play with other animals, meet people without fear, or easily attend veterinary appointments. Being a responsible and loving pet owner can take far more effort and sacrifice than we anticipated and can have a significant impact on our own mental health. The effort and cost of caring for a high needs pet can increase depression and anxiety in our day-to-day lives.
I know exactly what it is to have to leave my dog at home, medicate him due to fear, to not have dog or even human friends that can visit freely. I know how much it takes to manage your pet’s behavior and medical needs and how that can feel like a very small world for both your pet and yourself. I am not an animal trainer and do not offer training services, but I can support you and your family through the struggle and isolation that comes with loving a high needs pet. In addition to supporting high-needs pet parents, I’m honored to provide support and guidance when a beloved pet dies. Just as our pets give us joy and purpose, losing them can leave a hole in our lives equal to the joy they provided. No amount of time with our furry family is ever enough and moving forward after they have crossed the rainbow bridge sometimes proves more difficult than we anticipated - if we have the opportunity to anticipate the loss at all. It’s not unusual or weak to feel grief over the loss of your furry family member.